Wisconsin Charge Code Lookup

Type a Wisconsin charge code from a booking sheet, jail roster or ticket and see which law book and section it points to, with a link to the official text. It runs in your browser and nothing is stored.

Enter a code to see which law book it comes from and open the official text.

Wisconsin criminal code books and abbreviations

Wisconsin offenses are cited to one main law book:

  • Wisconsin Statutes (Wis. Stat.). Sections are written as chapter.section (961.41), for example 940.01, 961.41, 346.63. See section 940.01

After an arrest in Wisconsin: the first court appearance

Any person who is arrested must be taken within a reasonable time before a judge in the county where the offense allegedly occurred. (Wis. Stat. § 970.01(1))

(1) Any person who is arrested shall be taken within a reasonable time before a judge in the county in which the offense was alleged to have been committed.

Wisconsin courts call this hearing the initial appearance.

What this page does not do

  • It does not look up a person, a booking or a case.
  • It does not say what a charge will lead to; the prosecutor decides what is filed.
  • It collects nothing; what you type stays in your browser.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I read a Wisconsin charge code?

Find the number and the abbreviation. Wis. Stat. is the Wisconsin Statutes. A section is written as chapter.section (961.41). The lookup above links the official text.

How long can you be held in Wisconsin before seeing a judge?

Any person who is arrested must be taken within a reasonable time before a judge in the county where the offense allegedly occurred. (Wis. Stat. § 970.01(1)).

Sources

Checked against the sources above on October 20, 2026.

Know someone who could use this? Share this free tool:

Share: